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Topic: Religious peculiarities in Germany (Read 504 times)

There are probably loads of oddities at home but we tend to be too used to those to notice them. So, on holiday in the Hunsrück region[1] of Germany I couldn't help but notice that most villages had two churches. An old one and about a stone's throw away, a relatively new one. The old church was invariably Catholic and the new one evangelical. Apparently in the north of Germany it's the other way around. And, OF COURSE, the new church was always built right next door to the old one as persistent "in your face, you Rome-loving bunch of not-quite-right-christians, you're all going to hell muahahahaaa".Another strange thing[2] is that on just about every door, there was 20*C+M+B+12 or some variation of such. Apparently, it's the year (no points for spotting that) and the initials of the three magi, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. It's applied on the 6th of januari and is supposed to protect the house. Now, hang on a minute, scribbling magical symbols on a house to call upon supernatural powers? Christians are Pagans by any other name, it seems.

And now, you're all probably going "we already knew that!" Anyway, I found it all quite peculiar.

^^ Like I said, this practice is unknown to me, and I'm culturally Catholic. Also, it doens't seem to be a purely European thing, as I've since found US-ian sites that mention the practice.So, to sum up ... I don't know

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2 Interwebs 7:42And in the seventh year, thou shalt cast out the Nam from thine assembly for he haveth a potty mouth.

Although I've never travelled to Germany or Poland (I have been to Switzerland, England, France, & Italy however - putting me in the top 1% of Americans in terms of exposure to another country. 99% of Americans never leave the US, and a good 55% never travel more than 250 miles from where they were born - truly a sad state of affairs) - I have to say that the weird church situation seems to be the strongest here, in the USA. Right here in the little podunk town I live and work in - population 8K - there are no less than 25 different churches, ranging from the boring Cathloic (although pretty buildings they do make) to the downright odd (waving & weaving & talking in gibberish they call 'speaking in tongues') to the institutionally insane (Dominionists, Scientoligists, and snake-venom sipping idiots I forget their name).

All of whom pay no taxes, all of whom get their panties all in a bunch if you even suggest their beliefs are a bit 'odd', some of whom it's widely known as dangerous if you cross them in any way.

We are well on our way to one of two things (in my humble opinion):

1. A theocracy2. Civil War

After 9/11 - in combination with the ecomonic meltdown - the level of fear I get from other Americans is greater than at any time I can remember in my short 53 years. Fear of the next terrorism attack, Fear of losing their jobs (or of ever getting one to begin with), Fear their kids can't get medical attention they need, Fear of losing their house to foreclosure, Fear that they'll never work again when they get laid off in their 50's (not unjustified - the news reported a while back that if you're over 50 and laid off, you might as well give up, as 80% or more of people in that catagory will never work a quality job again)...

Our political elite is fanning the flames of Fear just to get (or stay) elected. Churches are laying claim to the solution of living with fear - just show up and start praying. While church attendence per se isn't going up, those that do attend are going more often and listening very closely to what the men in white hats are saying - the brainwashing is in full swing, and many, many people are (in my view) beyond hope of ever living their lives in a rational way..

The country is soaking in Fear. Under such circumstances, people are capable of anything, of any atroicity. People who 20 years ago would never consider owning a weapon are arming themselves - with multiple weapons, with guns in every room of the house.

Every day it's growing worse. Even at my workplace (a small college), out of our 3000 students, the largest student group (the christian club) has 700 members, while the Humanist club has less than 20...prayer meetings on campus are common and well attended - with a significant percentage of the faculty attending.

All this from an institution that's dedicated (supposedly) to critical thinking....

I have no hope for this country, not anymore. If I could afford to, I'd leave - but what country worth living in is going to take a partially disabled (auto-accident damage to lower body, I use a cane) 53 year old married man with no young kids to add to the workpool? Even though I'm a highly skilled Network Engeneer/Level 3 Computer Tech, as far as I can tell, countries a bit saner than the USA won't take me as a citizen/permanat resident - oh, they love my money as a tourist, but that's about it.

Depression is easy for me to fall into, under these circumstances. Sometimes, it's overwhelming (and has required medical assistance).

Welcome to the USA - home of the idiots, the home-schooled evolution deniers, whack-a-loons, and religious nutjobs.

If you need directions to the nearest prayer breakfast, I got ya covered.

^^^^I hear ya. When the going gets tough, the weak get religious. And the rest of us have to hang on for the ride.

Americans don't travel and don't study history, so every problem is all new and all ours. No need to look at how people in Europe or Japan or australia have dealt with this or that problem. And if more gun violence won't make it all better, we are at a loss. We are such insular know-nothing know-it-alls.

My daughter said she is worried about a young friend who has diabetes. I told her to tell her friend to start learning French so she can eventually immigrate to a country with real health care. I was only halfway kidding. As it turns out, the girl may actually be eligible for Canadian citizenship, so hurray.

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When all of Cinderella's finery changed back at midnight, why didn't the shoes disappear? What's up with that?

I work less than a mile from NATO HQ in Brussels. So, it's no wonder that I have good reception on AFN The Eagle ... American Forces Network.Couple of odd things about that station. - Every public service announcement is in language so simple, my primary school kids would roll their eyes at it (granted, they are habitual eyerollers)- The run-of-the-mill music is usually at least 10 years old- The 'latest/hottest' music is the kind of stuff Belgian stations played 5 years ago (no kidding)- The American service(wo)men are discouraged from interacting with the locals. All news is US-ian only, even the sports news. Ok, typically US-ian sports don't tend to be too popular in Belgium. And the reverse is also true. But there's this guy, Kljestan, a US international who plays for Anderlecht (or Wankerlecht as we tend to call them, but that's another story). You'd think that he'd get a mention now and then. Ok, I might get it if you use the logic that Americans only like winners (another one of those iffy memes). But a few years ago, Onyewu, also a US international won two league titles with his team, Standard. He too didn't get the slightest mention.Whatever happend to 'see the world'?

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2 Interwebs 7:42And in the seventh year, thou shalt cast out the Nam from thine assembly for he haveth a potty mouth.